Sunderland children’s services jump to Outstanding rating

Improved services in one of the most deprived councils in England are making a real difference to vulnerable children’s and families lives.

Children’s services in Sunderland have been rated Outstanding by Ofsted, having been deemed ‘inadequate’ since 2015, prompting inspectors to praise social workers in the region for their persistence in developing powerful relationships with children in their care and for putting their voices at the heart of services.

The swift improvements are thanks to ‘unstinting commitment’ from a voluntary trust established by the government, in collaboration with Sunderland City Council, to tackle entrenched failure, and the ‘significant cultural change’ staff have driven.

The rating makes Sunderland the first council to jump straight from failing in its children’s services to the highest rating in one inspection cycle.

Work is now underway with the Department for Education to explore how leaders in Sunderland and Together for Children can share their experiences with other councils to help make improvements elsewhere in lower performing areas.

Children and Families Minister Vicky Ford said: “It is so easy to focus on the challenges facing social workers, councils and children’s services, without taking time to acknowledge or champion success. The vast improvements in Sunderland demonstrate the importance of government intervening swiftly and decisively where children and families are being failed, so that the right support is in place to level up outcomes and transform lives.

“We have a duty to every child in our care to give them the same opportunities as their peers, so we cannot stand by in the face of entrenched failings.

“I’m enormously proud of the positive change leaders and staff in Sunderland have achieved, working tirelessly to continue raising the bar even as the pressures of the pandemic took hold. I’m also pleased to see the success of its early help and intervention work, meaning more families are supported to stay together safely, breaking the cycle of neglect too many have experienced in the past.”

Graeme Miller, leader of Sunderland City Council, said: "Children and young people in Sunderland deserve the very best, so I'm absolutely delighted to see Ofsted rating our children's services outstanding after an exceptionally difficult few years. This transformation has been very much driven by council Chief Executive Patrick Melia and Director of Children's Services Jill Colbert. But none of this could have been achieved without the tremendous dedication and commitment of all the hard-working staff at Together for Children or the young people of our city who have worked with them to reshape our children's services into something we can all be proud of."